Pitched midway between the girl power of Natasha Bedingflield and the dark, destructive songcraft of Amy Winehouse, "19" is great, but at times a little exhausting.

It offers brilliant tracks like "Chasing Pavements", "Hometown Glory", "Daydreamer", "Make You Feel My Love", "Melt My Heart To Stone", "Best For Last".
You can't fault the youngster's candid lyric-writing.
"What am I supposed to do to make you want me properly?" she pleads on opener "Daydreamer". "Whenever you look at me I wish I was her" she sings on the gruesome "Cold Shoulder".The pain of being dumped for someone else expertly rendered.

But the self-regarding nature of the words soon cloy a little. By the time we're told her "blood boils for you" in "First Love" and the fact that: "As you tear right through me I forgive you once again" on "Right As Rain" you're desperately searching for a spot of light among the gloom.
Nevertheless one thing that can't be challenged is the extraordinary voice - and that combination of Joni Mitchelle and Carole King could melt the sturdiest of souls. The delicate and sparse orchestration of the tracks is a delight too.
"19" proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that Adele is a worthy recipient of the BRIT's inaugural Critic's Choice Award.

ADELE - Chasing Pavements

Won a Grammy in 2009 for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

ADELE - Hometown Glory

stunning...oozes talent..

Adele singing Daydreamer on Jools Holland live

amongst the crap that is today's popular music, this poet has woven some beautiful and more complex than average songs. Brava!

ADELE - Right as Rain

this voice....u could pick her out of a hundred voices just because of her intensity